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E-mail Xinhua, March 10, 2025
Struggling Union Berlin staged a comeback to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 at the close of the 25th round on Sunday. Jeong Woo-Yeong scored the winner, while Frederik Ronnow emerged as a late hero with a crucial penalty save.
The Deutsche Bank Park was the scene of an intense encounter as both teams looked to bounce back from recent setbacks. Frankfurt, aiming to regain its place in the top three, started in dominant fashion, pressing high and controlling possession.
That early dominance paid off in the 13th minute when Michy Batshuayi opened his account for the club. He pounced on the rebound after Rasmus Kristensen's shot had been blocked, giving the hosts a deserved lead.
Despite controlling the first half, Frankfurt struggled to translate its possession into goals. Jean-Matteo Bahoya and Fares Chaibi went close, but Union Berlin held firm.
The visitors, who had managed just one shot on target before the break, came out with renewed vigor in the second half, pressing harder and disrupting Frankfurt's rhythm.
Their persistence paid off on the hour mark when Leopold Querfeld rose highest to meet Christopher Trimmel's pinpoint corner and power a header past Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp, leveling the score.
With both sides seeking a decisive goal, Union made a key substitution in the 71st minute, bringing on Jeong for Janik Haberer. The change proved inspired, as Jeong capitalized on a defensive lapse by Tuta seven minutes later. The South Korean curled a shot into the bottom corner to make it 2-1.
Frankfurt, desperate to salvage a point, pushed forward and got a golden opportunity in the fifth minute of stoppage time when Danilho Raimundo Doekhi was penalized for a handball in the area. Hugo Ekitike stepped up, but Ronnow made a crucial save, diving to his left to keep the ball out.
The final whistle confirmed a vital win for Union Berlin, which moved further away from the relegation zone while dealing a blow to Frankfurt's Champions League ambitions.
"We only have ourselves to blame for the defeat. We didn't play well in the second half. Then it was a wild finish, and we missed the penalty. It's a bitter pill to swallow," said Frankfurt coach Dino Toppmoller.
Elsewhere, bottom club Heidenheim held Hoffenheim to a 1-1 draw thanks to a second-half equalizer from Budu Zivzivadze.
